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2nd Attempt at a Magnetic Knife Rack

I decided to go about things differently with this try.
It doesn't matter how the rack looks if it does not function correctly.

I tried a few different spacings and think I found what will work best.
My goals were for the strip to hold the knife secure, but not too hard to remove. And for the knife not to spin on the strip.

Here I have 2 pieces of wood I will be using for the test mock up.
I drilled out holes for the magnets with a spacing that I think might work. The other piece is so I can figure out how thin I need the wood to be that will be covering the magnets.

Magnets in place

Taped to hold them in

Now the 2 pieces taped together. Surface piece is still too thick.

Had to go pretty thin for a good secure hold.

Taped pieces together to give it a try. I didn't have any kitchen knives here so I used a couple files.

Looks like it might work.
Now I will take the dummy strip home and see what happens with actual kitchen knives.

Mark, I'd like to hear more --- what size magnets, how much pull, how thin the veneer, etc. A buddy and I are scoring and drying some local burls and are thinking about making magnetic strips and blocks, etc.

If I was making a magnetic rack, I would stagger the magnets so that the knives will stick at any location rather than wanting to be over a vertical column of magnets. I have never used a magnetic rack, but I could see knives wanting to possibly collide depending on blade height and spacing.

I have seen magnetic strips/roll.. an inch wide or so, cut length to fit.

Not sure if it was an industrial grade for this type of holding strength though... but it would seem a lot simpler than all those holes and bitty round magnets if these were to be produced in any volume.

That seems like a lot of magnets. I have a cheap one that I bought off of etsy and though it works, my blades often rotate a bit as if something is possessing it. I like the idea of trying to stager them. With that said, your version has probably 4x the magnets of mine, so I wonder if there is a way to achieve limited rotation with fewer magnets. You are almost getting to the point that doing magnetic bars would be easier.

k.

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States...nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” -- Isaac Asimov

That seems like a lot of magnets. I have a cheap one that I bought off of etsy and though it works, my blades often rotate a bit as if something is possessing it. I like the idea of trying to stager them. With that said, your version has probably 4x the magnets of mine, so I wonder if there is a way to achieve limited rotation with fewer magnets. You are almost getting to the point that doing magnetic bars would be easier.

k.

Are you placing the knives pointed upwards? If not, that may explain the rotation. I always store them pointed upwards just in case if they were to fall off they don't land point ed down snapping off the tip.

Are you placing the knives pointed upwards? If not, that may explain the rotation. I always store them pointed upwards just in case if they were to fall off they don't land point ed down snapping off the tip.

Yeah, I point the knives upwards but the rack is just poorly designed. I think it is too narrow and they used too few magnets so if you put the knife in the middle of the magnets it will 'move' to the nearest one on its own.

k.

There is a cult of ignorance in the United States...nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” -- Isaac Asimov